Look for more offense as the World Series shifts to Texas - MLB

The first two games of the World Series were dominated by pitching, but we’ll likely see something very different as the series moves to Texas for Games 3, 4 and 5.

According to ESPN Park Factors, Rangers Ballpark in Arlington was the top run-scoring park and home run park in the majors this season compared to Busch Stadium, which was 25th and 28th in the majors, respectively. With the addition of the designated hitter under American League rules, there will be no easy outs. Also, while temperatures hovered right around 50 degrees in St. Louis, they should be in the mid 70s tonight in Arlington. These two sites couldn’t be much different.

And then we have tonight’s starting pitchers. Matt Harrison and Kyle Lohse. Harrison hasn’t pitched more than five innings in either of his two starts this postseason while Lohse has been terrible, allowing nine runs (eight earned) over 9 2/3 innings. One possible advantage for the Cardinals, Harrison wasn’t nearly as effective with Yorvit Torrealba behind the plate during the regular season (4.39 ERA over 14 starts) as he was with Mike Napoli (2.60 ERA over 17 starts), who will start at first base tonight.

Jayson Stark of ESPN.com tweeted a little earlier that only one World Series in the past 36 years (Braves vs. Indians, 1995) have begun with three straight one-run games. If it happens tonight, my guess is the score will be a lot closer to 10-9 than 2-1.

ST. LOUIS — Miles Mikolas is sticking with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The right-hander signed a three-year, $55.75 million contract on Friday that will carry through the 2025 season.

The new deal replaces a $68 million, four-year contract signed in February 2019 that covered the 2020-23 seasons and was set to pay $15.75 million this year.

Mikolas will receive a $5 million signing bonus payable July 1 and will make $18.75 million in 2023 and $16 million in each of the following two seasons. Mikolas can earn a $250,000 bonus for winning a Cy Young Award, $50,000 for All-Star election or selection or winning a Gold Glove, $100,000 for League Championship Series MVP and $150,000 for World Series MVP.

Mikolas is scheduled to make the second opening-day start of his big league career next Thursday when the Cardinals host Toronto. Mikolas went 12-13 with a 3.29 ERA last season while helping St. Louis to the NL Central title.

“Miles stands among the top pitchers in the game today, and has continued to provide a steady presence for us both in the rotation and inside the clubhouse,” St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement.

Mikolas is 45-40 with a 3.79 in 143 games with San Diego, Texas and St. Louis. He recently pitched six shutout innings in two appearances for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic.